Turning Inspiration into Perspiration

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Inspiration is found easily and often when you're a Sparker. You cannot deny the inspiration read in the triumphant entries of fellow members. The many, many interests portrayed through the various teams are seductive: "Come join us. You'll enjoy it! We exercise and lose weight the fun way!"

But how do you take this spectator mentality and turn it into a participatory one?

A comrade in our local spark team and I challenged each other to a "weight-off" in conjunction with a challenge posed by another team to which we both belong. We established the rules and a grading system and planned to get together regularly to both hold each other accountable and to see who's "winning."

At our first comparison meeting, I was blown out of the water by my friend's commitment. She took our challenge and ignited it with dynamite rather than a spark! Where was MY fire? What happened to MY old competitive all-excuses-barred, take-no-prisoners edge? Let me tell you, she honed it! She lit my fire! I told her after that meeting that I planned to turn her inspiration into perspiration.

Now, on days when my energy is lacking and my feet are dragging (justly so, even), I think of my accountability partner. I don't allow excuses. Maybe I don't have time for a two and a half hour bike ride, but I can work in 5 miles before the sun goes down. Can't get up the juice to wog 5K? Do a pep-step walk around the neighborhood instead. Forgot to take my dumbbells to my parents' house for the week? Use the light weights I took for my mother to use, and double them up in one hand (I've done that twice this week!). I have no excuses. There is no time for procrastination - it's now or die!

So I challenge you: take any of the myriad of inspirational stories found on SparkPeople, and turn them into your own perspiration. While you're patting yourself dry, you'll be so glad you did it!

Wow, I think the inspiration goes two ways. I think we have inspired each other. You are so special to me because I enjoy our conversation via SP and in person. When we get together it is one time the meal takes second place. I am definitely trying things I would never have thought of doing a few months ago. Right now I am renewed again to get moving (been a little slack this week). Really enjoyed the way you turn inspiration into perspiration!

Mel might have inspired you but you've just inspired me. I've been sitting on my lazy behind for months using all kinds of excuses (I' m tired because I worked long hours, it's too cold, it's too hot . . .) Thanks for the blog. I'm going to go back to what I was doing when I first joined Spark and hold myself accountable. Need to go back to feeling the pride when I put that check in the box that I walked today - or got in my 8 glasses of water. Good luck to both you & Mel. I think this will be a win/win challenge